Every November, we provide a full Thanksgiving dinner for families who are struggling financially. This year we are asking members of the parish to donate funds to purchase the items that go into the baskets. Those items are: hams, stuffing, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, french fried onions, instant mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pies and dinner rolls. With donations, we are able to purchase these items at a discount to fill the baskets. In 2019 we served over 200 families with a Thanksgiving dinner. What a gift to our community.
A group of parishioners in our parish cut out and sew fleece prayer blankets, with appliqued crosses. These small soft blankets are then stored in the Gift Counter in Rose Hall. When anyone in the Parish hears of someone in our community who is in need of prayers, due to an accident, surgery, illness, or some other tragedy, they can choose a blanket and fill out the card to explain who it is for and why they need prayers. The blanket is then blessed by the Rector at the Sunday church service and every member lays their hand on the blanket as they go up for communion and says a prayer for that individual. The blankets are then delivered to the person standing in need of our prayers. There is no charge for a blanket. Marla Norris is the chair for this ministry. If you are interested in helping, please call: 574-267-6266 or email: office@stanneswarsaw.
Members of Saint Anne’s dress up in costumes, decorate the trunks of their cars and fill them with Halloween Candy for the children of our West Market Street neighborhood to visit during Trick or Treat hours every Halloween. This is a way for us to inter-act with the families who do not attend St Anne’s in a welcoming way.
Outreach of the Month for November is our annual Thanksgiving Basket Outreach. You can read about it above. We are planning to fulfill this outreach ministry during 2020 despite Covid-19. Where there is a will, there is a way.